Clandestine Treachery Part II
Posted on Thu Feb 20th, 2020 @ 12:50am by Makeba Brown & Lieutenant JG Mira Jayna
Edited on on Thu Feb 20th, 2020 @ 2:22am
2,661 words; about a 13 minute read
Mission:
Episode 9 - Empok's End
Location: Shuttle Bay - USS Pioneer/Various
Timeline: MD003 1300 hrs
Makeba was not happy about being put in a position against her friends. However, she hoped to use her position to show her friends exactly who Leyton was. For the first time since coming aboard the Pioneer she appreciated the shot that Malbrooke and O Flannagain was giving her. She gave the two officers one last look and then turned toward the door. "Agreed..." she said as she walked past Mira and back on the bridge. Makeba was already projecting the image of anger, that the meeting did not go well at all.
Jayna waited for a minute then exited more slowly, looking pensive. If she was going to pretend to defect, she might as well start acting the part now. She didn't look back, or at anyone on the bridge, as she walked to the turbolift.
Quinn just looked to Tyler, with a look in his eyes, saying. I hope this is the right call. He still had his suspicions that this may not be the right course of action. But they were now committed to it.
Makeba Brown stood just off the port aft of the Type 9 Shuttle named Sitting Bull. Makeba chose that shuttle because she thought the name was appropriate. The phaser rifle that she held had it's power output raised so that it could mimic the Pioneer's phasers. She opened fire in a quick burst scorching the hull. A look of quiet determination was on her face.
Quinn had given Makeba a little bit of time to adsorb the mission, plus it gave him a chance to finish his train of thought of Tyler. Quinn walked into the shuttle bay, he could see Makeba holding rifle. Making blast marks on the hull. He pulled out his tricorder, to scan the blast radius. "Don't forget we need some blast radius shorts on the under carriage as well." Quinn pointed out to her, as he walked over towards her position.
"Aye sir!" Makeba said with a head nod. She scrambled under the shuttle and put a pair of goggles on. "Commander, I want you to know that this is not the Maquis that I signed up for. I won't let you or Captain Malbrooke down." She shouted over the noise of the phaser rifle.
Jayna stepped off the shuttle and smiled at the commander. "I blew a few circuits and replaced them. There's now a faint scent of burnt metal inside. Might as well be thorough. Oh, and I disabled the auto-tracker so once we get away, the Pioneer won't be able to follow us. Thought it would be prudent."
"Good idea, lets hope this goes according to plan. I want to see you both come back alive." Quinn started off. He was concerned for there safety. "Do you remember the extraction plan, once you complete your mission?" Quinn asked.
"Aye," Jayna replied. "Help the Marines get in and come out with them." At least that was her plan. Save the Maquis and stop the Cardassians.
"All goes according to plan, you will be extracted with the marines." Quinn said, not wanting to finish his statement. He did not want to put any doubt in their minds. Not at the eve of the mission.
Jayna nodded. "And if it goes badly, we do as much damage as we can before they kill us." It was something that had to be considered, and planned for. Even if she would do everything in her power to get herself and Makeba out alive.
Makeba worked diligently under the shuttle. Three short blasts did the trick and should get the point across. She heard Quinn and Jayna talking and chose not to add anything to the conversation. Truth was if Keebs was honest to herself and everyone else she most likely wasn't coming back to the Pioneer. She was ready and content to die on this mission. She slid out from under the shuttle. "The one thing we don't have is where are we going to meet the Cure. I mean I understand that we are going in before their Op is planned but we need to have a rally point."
That was a good question. Jayna looked at Quinn. "Or are we supposed to pick that when we contact them?"
"A rally point will be hard to set up. The New Maquis, sure like to travel a lot. They're leader makes it hard for Starfleet Intelligence to pin point their location. Meeting places are randomized. Sadly, we will not have a pre determined rally point. To risky the enemy can learn of it, and prepare an ambush for us." said the unknown author.
Makeba cocked her head. "I agree but there is going to have to be a place for us to open up for The Cure. I mean it can't just be random. My suggestion would be Lower Pylon 7. My cursory review of the ships currently docked at the station indicated that the Cardassian Flagship is docked there. Believe it or not Cardassians are filled with hubris and would never expect an attack to come right for their flagship. So, it will be the least protected. Also the irony I mean isn't that where the Pioneer always docked." Makeba offered up she knew it would be hard to get to the pylon but once there it would be a lot easier.
That appealed to Jayna in so many ways. If they could pull this off, it would not only be a slap in the face to the Cardassians, it would be a huge morale booster. She could almost visualize the Pioneer's triumphant return to Lower Pylon 7.
"I hope that is an option, the New Maquis are pretty intelligent, they may not be an option, an you maybe required to improvise your plans. I know if anyone can pull this off, ts you two." Quinn points out to Jayna and Makeba. Quinn had a big smile on his face. He was trying to show strength for them, but deep down he was worried.
"Alright then let's plan for it. I think with my charms I can get close enough to make it happen. Just tell Tremble to have his men ready to get in." Makeba sighed heavily with the weight of what was to come. "Well I think if we are going to pull this off we should get changed and get going."
The Vulcan/Bajoran nodded. "I never expect things to go as planned, but at least we have a general direction." She also hoped the New Maquis would believe Makeba, because if they didn't believe her, they'd never believe Jayna.
Jayna quickly changed into a pair of black canvass pants with plenty of pockets to store things, including a small butterfly knife. She layered on a tank top and long-sleeved blouse, slipped a second knife into its compartment in her boot and a third she clipped onto her belt. She added a decorative wire bracelet that could work as a garotte. She generally kept some sort of weapon on her and had since she was a child. She felt more confident knowing they were there. When she was ready, she went back to the shuttle.
Makeba returned to her quarters and she donned the clothing that she was wearing when they captured her back on Breyet Nor. That seemed to be a lifetime ago to the woman. Everything had changed and now she was considering joining Malbrooke's crew permanently. That is if she survived this mission. There was something about Malbrooke and O Flannagain something that made her want to earn their trust, to do what was right by them.
She put on her dirty and plasma stained jeans, along with a white blouse that was also stained. Her combat style boots and a brown leather jacket completed the outfit. Stashed in the jacket's pocket was a Maquis communicator. One that she hoped still worked. She went back to the shuttle bay and found it clear of all personnel save for Jayna and Quinn. Makeba expected that, no one could know what was about to happen. She walked right up to Quinn and squared her jaw. "I am going to need you to hit me..."
Quinn did not hesitate. He had been wanting to pop her one. He felt guilty for hitting her, but she was right. She needed to make it believable. They needed to make it believable. For the sake, he hoped this worked.
In an instant it both hurt and Makeba saw stars. She felt the swelling already beginning just below her right eye. A smirk crawled across her face. She thought that he did not have to hit so hard, but she also knew that she had deserved it. "Been saving that one up Commander. Now if we are going to make this fully believable you are going to have to pop her as well." Makeba indicated Mira as she spoke.
Jayna smirked. "I respectfully request that it not be just a right hook. And if I may, to make it look more believable, I will defend myself a bit." She would have to pull back so she didn't hurt him much, but it would look good if he could say that she fought back. "I've seen you fight pirates, remember?"
"Those were holograms, not my fellow shipmates." Quinn pointed out to Jayna. He did not want to hurt her. "Have Makeba do it. You both need to look like you both escaped, and met resistance."
Keebs knew that Quinn had a point so before Mira could react she punched the other woman. Respecting the Intelligence Officer's request Makeba gave her the left. "Right with that out of the way we need to get out of here before we miss our window. Make sure that tactical officer of yours pulls his punches." Makeba said to Quinn as she boarded the shuttle.
That wasn't what Jayna had in mind. In her opinion, a simple slug in the face was not enough to show resistance, but if they thought it would do, she wasn't going to argue. She nodded to the officers and walked onto the shuttle.
Makeba hopped into the pilots chair and began the preflight. She reached into the shuttle's emergency repair kit an pulled out a plasma torch. "This is an old Maquis trick to look more injured than you are. Scorch me on the lowest setting while I do the preflight and then I will take care of you. We have to launch in the next five minutes or we will miss our boarding window."
Her hands began to dance over the controls as she got the Sitting Bull ready for launch. The maneuver of getting off of the Pioneer and within the shield bubble of Empok Nor without being destroyed will be intense to say the very least. "Since calling you Warrant will not fly with the Maquis, what should I call you? It is best that you call me Keebs." Makeba kept her eyes front she did not want to know when the torch was coming.
"Jay will suffice," Jayna said, taking the torch and setting it on its lowest setting. In her day, they'd had a few other tricks, but this was quite effective, and far better than just a punch in the face. She swept it across Keebs from thigh to arm. "My sister and I were Maquis at the beginning of the Dominion War."
The slight sting of the torch was an interesting sensation. One that Keebs had not felt in a long time and it caught her a little off guard. The comment about Jay and her sister took Makeba's mind off the torch. "Interesting... What made you both want to come back to the fleet. A topic that I am wrestling with myself I must confess."
"I was raised on Bajor and went from the Resistance to the Maquis," Jayna said. "It was the promise of a future if we helped Starfleet fight the Dominion. A promise of not having to hide in the shadows, of building the type of future our parents died for." She chuckled softly. "My sister and I were idealists. We still are-her more than me, though."
The tingling of the torch had died down just when Makeba was getting used to the sensation. She turned toward Mira and took the torch from her. "I know a lot of brothers and sisters in the Maquis that made the same deal that you did. However, I wonder do you see the changes in Starfleet. The changes that you wanted is what I am referring to. If I am totally honest I can see these changes in some people. But I often wonder about the fleet at large, and what others see."
"I see it in some people," Jayna said after considering the question for a moment. "There are still those who care about the greater good, about helping those who can't help themselves. But there are others who want power and control. It's not perfect, but overall it is good, I think." She looked at Makeba. "Some of the Maquis we served with did not appreciate our decision. Even though we never betrayed them, they acted as if we did. Some of them turned pirate. I hope your Maquis learns from the past. After all I've seen, I think the Federation is still the better choice. So far."
"It seems that they haven't and that they are blindly following a wrongful leader. I hope we can bring them back from the brink." Makeba spoke as she finished singing Jayna's clothing. "Well I think we are all done here..." She turned toward the open hatch at the back of the shuttle craft. "Commander I believe we are ready to launch when you are. Make sure that Tactical Officer of yours pulls his punches." She smirked.
Jayna grinned. If not, it would be a short ride.
"Good luck, I expect to see you both on the flip side, when you return, I'll buy you both the first round at After Eleven's." Quinn suggested, trying to give Makeba and Jayna, luck and hope for wanting to see this mission through.
One way or another, Jayna thought to herself. As long as they got the job done.
The rear hatch the shuttle was about halfway up as Quinn mentioned the drink. "I am going to hold you to that commander." Makeba called out and smiled, for the first time in a long time actually and genuinely smiled. She turned to Jayna and nodded. "Let's go get him.... Bridge this is Sitting Bull emergency launch on my mark... Three... Two... One... Mark!"
The shuttle lurched forward going from a standstill to full thrusters in an instant. No sooner was the shuttle clear of the bay then five distinct phaser blasts lanced out from the Pioneer. Three of which grazed the shuttle enough to rock the people inside. The other two missed entirely. Makeba silently jumped the shuttle to full impulse while engaging evasive. The Pioneer made chase and once the Intrepid Class starship got within weapons range of the station she came to all stop. Seconds later the USS Pioneer jumped to warp and left the system. Makeba Brown, Mira Jayna, and the Sitting Bull were left alone for now...
A Joint Post By;
Commander Quinn Ó Flannagáin
Executive Officer, USS Pioneer
Warrant Officer Mira Jayna
Infiltration Specialist, USS Pioneer
Makeba Brown
Maquis Tactical Officer
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